A Community Reading Of "A Christmas Carol" Scheduled Next Weekend

Have you ever read Charles Dickens' novel "A Christmas Carol."

Have you ever had it read to you?

You'll get that opportunity next weekend when two readings of the classic holiday story are held at the Civic Park Community Center in downtown Walnut Creek.

The North by West Foundation has organized the public readings from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

On each night, volunteers from the audience will read aloud portions of the Dickins' classic.

Cameron Murphey, a member of the foundation, said some of the descriptive passages have been cut down, but otherwise the entire novel will be read aloud on both nights.

Murphey said the readings were inspired by the fact that Dickens did public readings of his book more than 100 times during his life. One of them was a well-attended gathering in December 1867 at Steinway Hall in New York City.

Dickens wrote "A Christmas Carol" in six weeks during the fall of 1843. It was first published in December 1843.

The book was an instant hit and is credited with helping revive Christmas celebrations in both England and the United States.

The book has been so popular that it has never gone out of print.